Francis wright pool



(No Model.)

F. W. POOL. RUNNING BOARD FOR CARS.

"No. 422,153. Patented Feb. 25, 1890.

WITNESSES:

A TTORNE Y8 u. PETERS. Finale-Lithograph". Wmhingwn. n c.

UNITED STATES P TENT OFFICE.

FRANCIS VRIGHT POOL, OF ST. PAUL, MINNESOTA, ASSIGNOR TO HIMSELF AND THOMAS NEILSON YOUNG, OF SAME PLACE.

RUNNING BOARD FOR CARS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of' Letters Patent No. 422,153, dated February 25, 1890.

I Application filed November 9, 1889- fierial No.329,785- (No model.)

To all whom it may concern-.-

Be it known that I, FRANCIS WRIGHT POOL, of St. Paul, in the county of Ramsey and State of Minnesota, have invented a new-and useful Improvement in Running Boards for Railway-Oars, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

My invention relates to an improved running board for railway-cars, especially for to freight-cars, and has for its object to provide a means whereby the brakeman or conductor will be prevented from falling from the cars when braking upon the top of the same, and also to provide a running board upon each [5 car capable of closely approaching the running board of an opposed car coupled thereto, and thereby afford a safe and convenient passage from one car to another.

The invention consists in the novel construction and combination of the several parts, as will be hereinafter fully set forth, and pointed out in the claims.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification,

in which similar figures of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the views.

Figure 1 is a side elevation of a car having my improvement applied. Fig. 2 is a plan view of the same, and Fig. 3 is a perspective View of one end of the running board detached from the car.

In carrying out the invention the running board 10 is secured to the top of the car 11 in any approved manner and made of sufficient length to extend longitudinally of the car and beyond the ends of the same, the projecting extremities of the board being made wider than the body portion,as best shown at 12 in Figs. 2 and 3, in order that 0 the bralceman or conductor in passing from car to car may be assured an easy and safe footing. The projecting extremities 12 of the running,board are made of such length that they will closely approach the correspending portion of the running board upon the opposed car without contacting therewith, and the said extremities are stayed or strengthened by a suitable bracket or brackets 13, secured to the ends of the car, as shown in Fig. 1. To the running board at the side a series of uprights 14: are fastened arranged at suitable distances apart, which uprights are intended to support guard-rails 16, extending from end to end of the board, and in order that the feet of the party traveling upon the said running board may not slip outward over the sides of the same a skirting-rail 17 is secured to the board at its sides on the uprights, the said skirting-rail being sufficiently elevated above the board to admit of the ready escape of water, sleet, &c.

If in practice it is found desirable, a trans verse gangway 18 may be formed at each end of the car intersecting with the running board; but such a transverse gangway is ordinarily employed only at that end of the car at which the brake is located. The transverse gangways are each provided with skirting-boards and guard-rails similar to the running board proper.

I do not confine myself to the curvature of the guard-rails at their extremities, as illustrated in the drawings, as said extremities may be carried down to the extensions of the running board in straighter lines, it desired.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent 1. As an improved article of manufacture, a running board for railway-cars constructed of greatest width at its extremities and of sufficient length to project beyond the ends of the car, the said board being provided with guard-rails extending from end to end, substantially as and for the purpose specified. l

2. The combination, with a running board having enlarged extremities and constructed of a length sufficient to project beyond the ends of the car, of a guard-rail arranged at each side of the running board, and skirtingrails located between the guard-rail and the upper face of the board, substantially as shown and described. 5

3. The combination, with a running board provided With branches extending outward and the guard-rail, nearer the latter than the at a right angle to its body and constructed former, substantially as and for the purpose of a length to admit of its extremities prospecified.

jecting beyond the ends of a car, of guard- FRANCIS WVRIGI-IT POOL. 5 rails arranged at each side of the body of the Witnesses:

said board and its branches, and a skirting- PETER JOHN, Jn, board arranged between the running board THOMAS NEILSON YOUNG. 

